This invention relates to a connecting module for single-strand optical conductors, and a connector formed from such a module or a plurality of such modules.
In order to provide for the connection of single-strand optical conductors, it has been proposed to hold the conductors which are to be connected in small grooves. These grooves are of a V-shaped cross-section and are provided in an identical manner in corresponding planar faces of two carriers. The ends of the conductors are disposed in the plane of the facing ends of the carriers so that the conductors can be connected together in face-to-face relationship.
In order to provide for a suitable alignment of the conductors with one another, each of the carriers must have two reference surfaces other than the planar face in which the grooves are provided. The carriers are generally parallelepipedally-shaped, and the aforementioned grooves have to be made by very precise and therefore, highly expensive machining of one side of the base of each of the carriers so that they can be aligned accurately with each other. This is necessary to ensure that the optical conductors are centered and that proper connection is made.